Headwear

ABSTRACT

A visor 10 for mounting video display units and/or earphones on the head has a U-shaped retaining element 16 pivoted thereto about a transverse axis X&#39;, whereby the retaining element 16 can be raised to facilitate donning and doffing the visor 10 or lowered to engage the occipital region of the head to keep the visor in position. The retaining element 16 may commonly rotate about axis X&#39; with an arch-shaped manifold 13. Preferably, the retaining element 13 is articulated to axis x&#39; by links 15 and recesses 19 are preferably provided on opposite sides of the visor 10 to receive the folded links 15 and arms 18 of the retaining element 16 when the latter is fully lowered. In this position, the manifold 13 rests on top of the arms 18 of the retaining element 16.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to an article of headwear such as a headset,helmet or visor of the type which is used to locate relative to theuser's head equipment providing visual or visual and auditory stimuli.Visual display units (VDU's) may be mounted on the article forpresenting imagery to the eyes of the wearer and earphones forpresenting sound to the ears.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With headsets solely for sound there is little problem in maintainingthe two earphones on opposite sides of the head. Typically this has beendone by mounting the two earphones at opposite ends of a resilient archwhich, in use, extends over the user's head. More recently, however, thedemand has grown for a headset which will also--or exclusively--displayvisual imagery. In flight simulators this has taken the form of a helmetproviding a transparent visor through which the user looks at a screen.Computer generated images are projected onto the visor so as to besuperimposed on the view of the screen. A more recent development hasbeen a demand for a helmet which restricts the view of the wearerexclusively to closed circuit television images. Such helmets are usedin space research and are worn by personnel monitoring and controllingthe activity of robots at remote locations. A yet more recentdevelopment has been the need for a similar helmet to present computergenerated images to the eyes of the wearer, e.g. by means of twominiature VDU's mounted on the helmet, in the experience of "virtualreality".

Such a helmet or visor should be firmly held on the head, so that itwill not be disturbed by rapid movements of the wearer or an accidentalknock, but not in such a way that placing it on the head--or moreimportantly removing it--is at all difficult. The traditional chin-strapis unsuitable. It is unsightly and restricting and does not readilyprovide an easily accessible quick-release facility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore in accordance with the present invention there is provided anarticle of headwear adapted to be worn in an orientation such that afrontal region of the article is to the front of the head, the articlecomprising a generally U-shaped retaining element which is pivotableover a rear region of the article about a first axis transverse of arear region of the article between a raised position to facilitatedonning and doffing the article and a lowered position in which theretaining element will engage the back of the wearer's head,characterized in that distal portions of the retaining element arepivoted at a second axis also transverse of said rear region of thearticle to respective ends of a pair of links the other ends of whichare pivoted to said article about said first axis whereby the retainingelement is movable both about said first axis between raised and loweredpositions and about said second axis between positions nearer to andfurther from the back of the wearer's head.

Preferably the article is formed on opposite sides with rearwardlyopening recesses shaped to receive the junctions between the links andthe distal portions when the retaining element is in a fully loweredposition.

A central region of the retaining element may be pivoted relative tosaid distal portions thereof to be relatively rotatable about a thirdaxis transverse of the rear region of the article (10). In thisconstruction said central region is preferably bowed and padded on itsinner side.

A second, arch-shaped member may be pivoted at its distal ends to thearticle to be rotatable relative thereto about the same first axis asthe ends of the links remote from the retaining element. The assembly ofthe retaining element and links may be arranged in the path of themovement of the arch-shaped member from its raised to its loweredposition such that lowering of the arch-shaped member tends to causelowering of the retaining element.

In the fully lowered position of the arch-shaped member the assembly ofretaining element and links may be held in the recesses by thearch-shaped member.

Friction and/or spring and/or stop means may be associated with any oneor more of said pivotal connections to inhibit, promote or limitrotational movement of the pivoted components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are similar side elevations of a an article of headwear inaccordance with the invention but with components in different angularpositions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The article of headwear or headset 10 illustrated generally takes theform of a visor 11 internally shaped so as to locate over the wearer'shead, as shown, so that a region 12 where two miniature VDUs (not shown)are mounted is in front of the wearer's eyes. An arch-shaped mounting ormanifold 13 is pivoted about a first axis x' transverse of the visor sothat, starting from a fully lowered position (not shown) in which itextends approximately horizontally rearwardly of the visor, it can beswung upward and over the visor through the positions illustrated. Thisfacilitates donning and doffing the visor and accommodates a range ofhead sizes while helping to secure the visor to the wearer's head. Atthe axis x' a friction clutch (not shown) acts between the manifold andthe body of the visor 11 so that the manifold 13 tends to remain inwhatever angular position it is placed. The manifold 13 protects theback of the wearer's head, in use, and can be used for the mounting ofassociated instrumentation. A main electrical connection to the visor isillustrated at 14.

In accordance with the present invention there are also pivotallyconnected to the visor 11 for rotation about the axis x' a pair oflinks, one on either side of the visor 11, one of which is indicated at15. The links 15 rotate about the axis x' at one of their respectiveends and at the other of their respective ends they are pivotallyconnected to respective ends of a bowed retaining element generallyindicated at 16 so that the retaining element 16 is rotatable relativeto the links 15 about a second axis x" parallel with axis x'. Theretaining element has a curved central region 17 shaped to conform tothe back of the wearer's head and preferably suitably internally padded.The central region 17 of the retaining element is pivoted to two distalportions thereof, one of which is visible at 18, about a third axis x"'parallel with the other two axis x' and x". Suitably positioned stops(not shown) limit angular movement of the central part 17 relative todistal portions 18.

The body of the visor 11 is formed internally on opposite sides with twosimilar, rearwardly opening recesses one of which is shown at 19. Theserecesses are shaped to receive and limit the downward and inwardmovement of the links 15 and retaining element parts 18 on each side ofthe visor, thus determining a fully lowered position for the retainingelement 16. Light torsion springs (not shown) at the axes x' and x" actrespectively on links 15 and parts 18 to rotate them anti-clockwise, asviewed, toward the fully lowered position illustrated in FIG. 2.Similarly light torsion springs (not shown) act between each end of thecentral region 17 of element 16 and the associated link 18 to tend torotate the central region 17 anti-clockwise as viewed to a stopposition. In this way the central region 17 accommodates itself todifferently shaped occipital regions of wearers' heads.

In use of the headset 10 the user puts it on his head with the manifold13 in a raised position and with the links 15 of the retaining elementheld against their torsion springs to extend rearwardly or rearwardlyand upwardly so that there is plenty of room for entry of the head intothe visor. Once the visor is comfortably on the head with the viewingregion 12 properly positioned in front of the eyes the retaining element16 assembly is allowed to resume the position illustrated in FIG. 2under the influence of the torsion springs at its axis of rotation--ifnecessary with manual assistance--and then manifold 13 is lowered fromthe position of FIG. 1 through the position of FIG. 2 to a fully loweredposition (not shown) in which it extends rearwardly of the visor 11approximately horizontally. When it rests on top of links 18 of theretaining element 16 it tends to hold the latter in place both bygravity and by the action of its friction clutch, the links 18 of theretaining element assembly resting on approximately horizontal shelvesrepresented by the lower parts of the recesses 19. When the central part17 of the retaining element is fully in contact with the back of thewearer's head in the occipital region (i.e. where the head is undershot)it adopts an appropriate angular position relative to distal parts 18 byrotating about axis x"'.

Removal of the visor 11 from the head simply involves raising themanifold 13 and the retaining element 16 in sequence, the latterextending rearwardly as its distal parts 18 move toward alignment withlinks 15.

It is claimed:
 1. An article of headwear (10) adapted to be worn in anorientation such that a frontal region of the article (10) is located atthe front of the head, the article comprising a generally U-shapedretaining element (16) which is pivotable over a rear region of thearticle (10) about a first axis (x') transverse of said rear region ofthe article between a raised position to facilitate donning and doffingthe article (10) and a lowered position in which the retaining element(16) will engage the back of the wearer's head, wherein distal portions(18) of the retaining element (16) are pivoted at a second axis (x"),also transverse of said rear region of the article, to respective endsof a pair of links (15) the other ends of which are pivoted to saidarticle (10) about said first axis (x') whereby the retaining element(16) is movable both about said first axis (x') between raised andlowered positions and about said second axis (x") between positionsnearer to and further from the back of the wearer's head.
 2. An articleas claimed in claim 1, wherein the article (10) includes on oppositesides rearwardly opening recesses (19) shaped to receive junctionsbetween the links (15) and the distal portions (18) when the retainingelement (16) is in a fully lowered position.
 3. An article as claimed inclaim 1 wherein a central region (17) of the retaining element (16) ispivoted relative to said distal portions (18) thereof to be relativelyrotatable about a third axis (x"') transverse of the rear region of thearticle (10).
 4. An article as claimed in claim 3, wherein said centralregion (17) is bowed and padded on its inner side.
 5. An article asclaimed in claim 1, wherein a second, arch-shaped member (13) is pivotedat its distal ends to the article (10) to be rotatable relative theretoabout the same first axis (x') as the ends of the links (15) remote fromthe retaining element (16).
 6. An article as claimed in claim 5, whereinan assembly comprised of the retaining element (16) and links (15) isarranged in the path of the movement of the arch-shaped member (13) fromits raised to its lowered position such that lowering of the arch-shapedmember (13) tends to cause lowering of the retaining element (16).
 7. Anarticle as claimed in claim 1, further including, on opposite sides,rearwardly opening recesses shaped to receive junctions between thelinks and the distal portions when the retaining element is in a fullylowered position, a second arch-shaped member pivoted at its distal endsto the article to be rotatable relative thereto about the same firstaxis as the ends of the links remote from the retaining element, whereinan assembly comprised of the retaining element and links is arranged inthe path of the movement of the arch-shaped member from its raised toits lowered position such that the lowering of the arch-shaped membertends to cause lowering of the retaining element, the arrangement beingsuch that in the fully lowered position of the arch-shaped member theassembly of retaining element and links is held in the recesses by thearch-shaped member.
 8. An article as claimed in claim 7, whereinfriction means are associated with at least one of said pivotalconnections to inhibit rotational movement of the pivoted components. 9.An article as claimed in claim 7, wherein spring means are associatedwith at least one of said pivotal connections to promote rotationalmovement of the pivoted components.
 10. An article as claimed in claim7, wherein stop means are associated with at least one of said pivotalconnections to limit rotational movement of the pivoted components.